6 String Freedom

Part 10: Connect the neck without losing the music · Lesson 092 / 117

Find the E and D form families

Today’s one thing

Continue the C-major map higher up the neck.

An E-shaped C major is 8–10–10–9–8–8 from low E to high E. It contains C–G–C–E–G–C. Locate C at low E fret 8 and D-string fret 10.

A D-shaped C voicing is x–x–10–12–13–12, containing C–G–C–E. Its root lies on D-string fret 10, with another C on B-string fret 13. These form families overlap through their C-major ingredients.

Learn one small fragment today: G9, B8, high E8 gives E–G–C. You already encountered this first-inversion C triad. Then identify the upper D-form fragment G12, B13, high E12 as G–C–E.

The map repeats an octave higher, but there is no need to chase every repetition now. Two accurately named fragments are more useful than an unlabelled diagram covering the whole neck.

Hear it

C Voicings

Audio file

Four-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.

A concrete example

E-family fragment 9–8–8 on G–B–high-E = E–G–C. D-family fragment 12–13–12 = G–C–E.

E form chordE formEADGBe8D form chordD formEADGBe10××
All diagrams sound C major. Form names describe the movable pattern, not a new chord. These are landmarks, not a requirement to hold every complete grip.

Try it, slowly

  1. Locate the two C roots around frets 8–10.
  2. Play and name the E-family fragment.
  3. Inspect the D-family fragment and identify its bass note.

Check one idea

What root names both fragments even though their lowest notes differ?

Show the explanation

C. Both contain the C-major ingredients C, E and G. Their bass notes describe inversions, not different chord roots.

A good place to stop

You can identify the chord tones in two higher-neck form families.

Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.